Automatic stop device for elevators.



PATENTED JAN. 1a, 1903 G. w. NISTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FORELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4 III/I NO MODEL.

III/III 1'! uokms warms co. mom-Luau WASHINGTON, I:v cv

No. 718,375. v PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

i G. W. NISTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGLZZ, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 718,375. PATENTED AN. 13, 1903..

G. W. NIsTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET a.

LlNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. NISTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO'EVERETT W. BROOKS AND ROBERT L. GIFFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

$PEOIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 718,375, dated January13, 1903.

Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NISTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful" Improvements in Automatic Stop Devicesfor Elevators, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention relates to elevators, and more especially to an improvedmechanism for effecting the automatic stopping of a car at any desiredlanding whether the car he ascending or descending.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable mechanismof the character stated which may be operated by merely pushing a buttonor equivalent device which indicates and corresponds with the floor atwhich a passenger may desire to land.

To this end myinvention consistsin a mechanism 0f the characterspecified which is readily capable of application to all elevatorswherein the movements of the car are controlled by a cable extendingfrom the top to the bottom of the shaft.

My invention in the best mechanical form in which I have thus farembodied the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

, wherein 0 Figure 1 represents an ordinary elevatorshaft in verticalelevation with the front wall thereof removed and the landings shown insection and also illustrating a car therein with its front wallpartially broken out to illustrate the relative location of'theautomatic stop mechanism contained therein. Fig. 2is a front elevationalview of the principal parts of the stop mechanism, including theindicator devices, detached. Fig. 3 is a vertical see- I 40 tional viewthrough one wall of the car and the adjacent wall of the shaft andillustrating the automatic stop devices in side elevation. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional view through the wall ofthe shaft, the adjacent 5wall of the car, and the cable on a plane above the cable-actuatingjaws; and Fig. 5 is a detail elevational View of a part of the mechanismshown in Fig. 3 in a plane at right angles to the latter.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates an elevator-shaft, and 11 thecar traveling therein, the movements of which latter are controlledthrough any well-known starting and stopping devices (not shown)controlled by the usual cable 12, extending vertically of the 5 5 sh aftfrom top to bottom thereof. One section of this cable passes through thecar and is designed to be actuated by the operator in starting the car,as usual, whilethe other section lies between adjacent walls of theshaft and the car.

Mounted on one side wall of the car and at a height to be Within easyreach is the traveling part of my improved stop mechanism, in-

cluding the indicator devices thereon, which I will now proceed todescribe in detail. In brackets 13, secured to the wall of the car, isrotatably mounted a horizontal shaft 14, one end'of which has fastthereon a main operating-lever 15, the handle end of this leverextending above the shaft, while the operating end of, the lever extendssome distance 'therebelowand is provided on its lower end with a pointedshoe 16, designed to cooperate wi'th devices, hereinafter described,that act directly upon the external section of the controlling-cable.The shaft 14 has loosely mounted thereon a series of upstanding arms 17,each of which has journaled upon its upper end a small wheel or roller18, designed to ride over a stationary cam on the inner wall of theshaft, as hereinafter more particularly described. There will be as manyof these arms 17 as there are landings (above the ground-floor) to beserved by the device, each arm corresponding to and effecting thecontrol of the carat the particular landing, which is indicated in anysuitable or convenient way thereon, as by means of the indicator. disksor buttons 19, herein shown. It 0 will be observed by reference to Figs.1 and 2 that the arms 17 are arranged side by side in closely-adjacentvertical planes, and in the corresponding vertical planes there arelocated a group of stationary cam-blocks 20, fast 5 on the inner wall ofthe shaft and in such positions as to be engaged and oyerrun by therollers 18, whereby thearms-l'? are given a limited inward oscillation.As indicated in Fig. 1, one of these cam-blocks is located adjacent eachlanding and isprovided with camsurfaces at both its lower and upper endsin order to operate in connection with both the ascending and descendingmovements of the car. Each one of the arms 17 is maintained normally inan inner idle position, in which it will not contact or be affected bythe cam 20, by means of a light leaf-spring 21, Fig. 3, secured at itsupper end to the rear edge of the arm and at its lower free end engagingthe bottom margin of the aperture in the wall of the cage through whichthe arms 17 operate.

The means whereby the engagement of the roller 18 with the cam-block 20in the case of each arm 17 is caused to effect a rearward oscillation ofthe lower end of the oscillating lever 15 is as follows: Fast on theshaft 14, adjacent the lower end of each arm 17, is a collar 22, whichis provided on its periphery with a single ratchet-tooth 22. (See Fig.3.) Pivoted on the same side of the arm 17, a short distance above saidcollar 22, is a gravity-pawl 23, the nose of which is adapted forcooperation with the ratchet-tooth 22, said pawl being provided with ashort forwardlyprojecting arm terminating in a knob or button 23, whichlatter may conveniently bear a numeral corresponding with the numeralcarried by the arm to which it belongs and which indicates theparticular floor or landing with which said arm and pawl are associated.The parts thus far described are so related that if when the lever,shaft, and collar are in their normal positions the arm 17 be pushedoutwardly until the roller 18 nearly contacts the wall of the shaft thepawl 23 will be carried over the point of the ratchet-tooth 22 and willdrop behind the same. From this it follows that as soon as the roller 18in either its upward or downward travel oncounters the cam 20 the lowerend of the lever will be rocked in a rearward direction against thetension of a master-spring 24, operating between the adjacent wall ofthe car and the lower end of the lever and normally tending to maintainthe latter thrust forward inwardly of the car.

The function of the lever 15 under the automatic action of the partswith which it is associated is to maintain the automatic stoppingdevices inoperative, and this function it performs, in connection withthe pointed shoe 16 on its lower end, through the following mechanism:Fast on the cable 12, adjacent each landing, are a pair ofoppositelydisposed cone-shaped buttons, the uppermost of which isdesignated by 25 and the lowermost by 26, the former operating upon thedescent of the car and the latter upon its ascent to arrest the car atthe particular landing with which said buttons are associated. It willbe observed that the wide end of the upper button is uppermost, whilethat of the lower button is undermost. The wide ends of these buttonsare adapted to cooperate with a pair of horizontally-disposed jaws 27,pivoted at their inner ends upon a standard 28, mounted on the floor ofthe car and extending through a horizontal slot 11 Fig. 4, in the wallof the car, and at their outer ends embracing the cable 12, for whichpurpose the meeting edges of said jaws near their outer extremities areconcaved or hollowed out sufficiently to enable the cable to lietherebetween when the jaws are closed, as plainly shown in Fig. 4. Themeeting edges of the jaws where they engage the cable and therebeyondare slightly beveled on their upper and lower margins fora purposehereinafterdisclosed. These jaws are adapted to open and close in ahorizontal plane to an extent to permit the passage therebetween of thebuttons 25 and 26 at the desired times, and they are normally heldclosed by elastic means, herein shown as consisting of a U- shapedspring 29, embracing their pivoted ends and sides. On the upper faces ofthe jaws 27, adjacent the lower end of the lever 15 and in a commontransverse plane, are mounted a pair of studs 30, which are preferablyprovided with antifriction-rollers 31. These studs are so positionedthat the pointed shoe 16 will normally under the impulse of themaster-spring 2a enter between them wedge fashion, thus forcing the jawsapart to such an extent that the latter will freely pass over thebuttons 25 and 26 on the controlling-cable without exercising any effecton the latter. On the inner wall of the shaft at each landing, out ofvertical alinement with the cam 20,but in vertical alinement with theinner meeting edges of the free end of the jaws 27, is located adiamond-shaped block 32, which serves as a spreader for the jaws 27after the latter have engaged the buttons 25 and 26, respectively, andmoved said buttons and the cable, to which they are attached, asufficient distance to effect the stopping of the car at the landing.block is located at a point substantially opposite the position assumedby the buttons when the latter have been carried up or down by the jawsto an extent sufficient to insure the stopping of the car.

The operation of the device has already to a considerable extent beenindicated, but may be briefly summed up as follows: Assuming the car tobe at the ground-floor, the several arms 17 will all be occupying theirinward position under the influence of the springs 21. The lever 15,under the influence of the master-spring 24,will occupy a positionwherein the pointed shoe 16 is between the studs 30, thus maintainingthe jaws 27 apart, while the pawls 23 will lie idle, with their nosesoverlying and resting upon the peripheries of their respective collars22 in rear of the teeth 22 Assuming, for the sake of examp1e,that apassenger enters the car, desiring to go to the fifth floor, uponentering he or the op erator will press that knob on one of the arms 17which is numbered 5, thus pressing the roller at the upper end thereofoutwardly toward the adjacent wall of the shaft. This rearward swing ofthe arm will be sufficient to cause the nose of the pawl 23 to drop inThis front of the tooth 22. The spring 21, however, has not sufficienttension to overcome the master-spring 24, and hence the lever 15 willremain undisturbed, with the shoe at its lower end holding the jaws 27apart. The car will then rise, the jaws 27 passing idly over the pair ofbuttons 26 and 25'atthe second, third, and fourth landings; but justbefore the fifth landing is reached the roller 18 will encounter the cam20, and through the described connections the lever 15 will be rocked towithdraw the wedge-shaped shoe' 16 from between the studs 30, thusallowing the jaws to close just below the button 26, which pertains tothe fifth landing. Through the engagement of the jaws with the broadlower end of the button the controlling-cable will be raisedsufficiently to effect the'stopping of the car at the landing, andsimulta neously with the completion of this movement the beveled-endportions of the jaws 27 will encounter the wedge-block 32, and the jawswill be spread thereby sufficiently to enable them to release and passover the button 26 on the subsequent continued ascent of the car. As thecable 12 is actuated bythe operator to continue the upward travel theupper button 25 will readily pass between the jaws, owing to itswedge-like formation, and simultaneously with or before resuming theascent from the floor at which the landing was made the operator willraise the pawl 23 corresponding with that particular landing, and thiswill enable the master-spring 24 to again assert itself and spread thejaws 27 through the wedge-shoe 16, thus restoring'the normal position ofthe mechanism and rendering it inactive with reference to any otherlandings. In this manner by the pressing outwardly of any appropriatearm 17 the car may be caused to automatically stop at the desiredlanding, and it is immaterial how many of the arms are thus actuated atthe same time or during a single ascent or descent of the car, since themechanisms which effect the stopping of the car at the several land:ings are all independent. For instance, if three passengers desire tostop at the second, fourth, and sixth landings, respectively, all threeof the arms 17 corresponding to these landings may be set beforestarting. The car will automatically stop first at the second landing,after which the mechanism for that landing will be restored to normalposition by raising the pawl carrying the numeral 2. The car will thenautomatically stop at the fourth landing,after which the mechanismcontrolling the stopping of the car at that point will be rendered idlethrough the raising of the pawl bearing the numeral 4:, after which thecar will continue to and automatically stop at the sixth floor.

With reference to the descent of the car precisely the same series ofoperations take place as has already been described in connection withthe ascent by Virtue of the fact that the stationary controlling-camsand the spreader-block on the wall of the shaft are all double-that is,alike-but inversely formed at their opposite ends, the same being trueof the buttons 25 and 26' on the controlling.

but in case a passenger should fail to call his landing in time for thesetting of the automatic mechanism as described to effect a stop at thatpoint the carmay be stopped at such landing or any other by the operatorby drawing inwardly the handle end of the lever 15 just before thelanding at which a stop is to be made is reached, this having the sameeffect upon the stopping devices controlled by said lever as if thelever had been automatically actuated through the engagement of theroller 18 with the cam 20.

The several arms 17 when in their idle positions lie so far within thecar that the noses of their respective pawls will overlie the dependentof each other, each arm 17 when required performing its function withoutinterfering with either the normal or active position of any other armor arms.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides anentirely automatic stop mechanism for elevators which is capable ofstopping the car at any predetermined landing or landings on either theascent or descent of the car and which requires for its setting nothingmore than a slight pressure upon a knob or button. This relieves theoperator of the burden of remembering all of the landings as they areordinarily announced to him and reduces his labor and responsibility tothe setting and resetting of the stop mechanism and the restarting ofthe car after each stop. It is evident that the principle of myinvention might be embodied in mechanically equivalent devices varyingmore orless widely from the mechanism herein shown and described. I donot limit myself, therefore, to the specific details of the latterexcept to the extent that they may be indicated in the claims hereuntoappended.

I claim 1. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combinationwith a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary camslocated on the wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings,respectively, a corresponding series of independently-movable devicescarried by the car,each one of which is adapted to be shifted into linewith one of said cams, a cable-engaging device carried by the car,

Thus it will be seen that the operations of the several arms 17 areentirely in- 1 and mechanism intermediate said movable devices and saidcable-en gaging device whereby the latter is rendered operative upon thecable at the several landings through the contact of said movabledevices and cams, sub stantially as described.

2. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controllingcable, of a series of stationary cams located onthe wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, acorresponding series of independently-movable pivoted arms carried bythe car, the free ends of which are adapted to be shifted into line withtheir respective cams, a cable-engaging device carried by the car, andmechanism intermediate said arms and said cable engaging device wherebythe latter is normally rendered inoperative npon the cable, but iscaused to engage the latter to stop the car through the contact of anyone of said pivoted arms with its respective cam, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a cable-engaging device carried by thecar, restraining mechanism also carried by the car normally renderingsaid cable-engaging device inoperative upon the cable, and cooperatingdevices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings and on the car,respectively, through the predetermined engagement of which saidcable-engaging device is freed from the restraining mechanism andpermitted to engage the cable to stop the car, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an'automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a pair of spring-actuated jaws carriedby the car and adapted to engage the cable, jaw-separating mechanismalso carried by the car and normally spreading said jaws, andcooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings andon the car, respectively, through the predetermined engagement of whichsaid jaws are freed from the separating mechanism and permitted toengage the cable to stop the car, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a series of stop-buttons secured onthe cable opposite the several landings, respectively, a pair ofspring-actuated jaws carried by the car embracing and sliding over thecable and adapted when closed to contact said stop'buttons,jaw-separating mechanism also carried by the car and normally spreadingsaid jaws, and cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at theseveral landings and on the car, respectively, through the predeterminedengagement of which said jaws are freed from the separating mechanismand permitted to move into operative relation to said stop-buttons,substantially as described.

6. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a series of stop-buttons secured onthe cable opposite the several landings, respectively, a pair ofspring-actuated jaws carried by the car embracing and sliding over thecable and adapted when closed to contact said stop-buttons,jaw-separating mechanism also carried by the car and normally spreadingsaid jaws, cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the severallandings and on the car, respectively, through the predeterminedengagement of which said jaws are freed from the separating mechanismand permitted to move into operative re lation to said stop-buttons, andstationary jaw-spreading devices on the wall of the shaft at the severallandings, respectively, adapted to engage and spread said jaws after thelatter have contacted the stop-buttons and arrested the movement of thecar, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary cams located onthe wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, acorresponding series of independently-movable pivoted arms carried bythe car, the free ends of which are adapted to be shifted into line withtheir respective cams, a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the carand adapted to engage the cable, and a jaw-separating device alsocarried by the car and adapted to be disengaged from the jaws to permitthe latter to close and engage the cable upon the engagement of any oneof said pivoted arms with its respective cam, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with acar and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary cams located onthe wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, ashaft horizontally journaled along one side of the car, a series ofvertically-extending arms loosely journaled on said shaft and adapted tobe shifted into line with said cams, respectively, an independentpawl-and-ratchet connection between each arm and the shaft, anoperating-lever fast on said shaft, one end of said lever constituting ahandle and the other terminating in a wedge-shaped shoe, a pair ofspring-actuated jaws carried by the car and at their outer ends adaptedto embrace and slide over the controlling-cable, stop-buttons fast onthe latter adjacent each landing adapted to be contacted by said jawswhen closed GEORGE W. NISTLE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK O. GOODWIN.

